Wheel hub unit



June 8, 1931 F, J} vBALDWlN 2,083,188

v WHEEL HUB UNIT Filed June 16, 1956 Patented June 8 1937 ED} sure OFFICE q WHEELIIUB UNIT Francis J Baldwin, Ravenna, Ohio Application June 16, 1936, Serial No.*5,595

" 4 Claims. (01. 208- 181) This invention relates to the-class of skates and pertains particularly to improvements in the construction of hubs for rink skate wheels.

The present invention has for its primary object to provide an improved hub for use in connection with turned woodwheels of the character employed on rink skates, which may be more quickly made and morequickly and cheaply assembled in the wheel than is possible with the 10 present types-of machined or racing hubs,'particularly those hubs which are formed in onepiece, the present hub being designed for use in duplicate upon each wheel.

Another object of thenvention is to provide 15 an improved wood wheel hub for rink skates which is formed in a novel manner and which is adapted to be pressed into position in the wooden wheel shell where it will be firmly held by means of integral lugs which are forced to 20 bite into the wood of the shell.

consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient 30 features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:- 1 Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a wood wheel for a rink skate showing one of the hub 35 pieces in operative position therein.

Fig. Zis a view in plan of the inner side of the hub piece.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. 40 Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of the hub piece.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a view in end elevation of a skate wheel, before the application of the hub units. 45 Referring now more particularly to the drawing the numeral I generally designates a wheel of the type used in rink skates and which is of turned hard wood. Such wheels have as shown, a circular recess in each side face, one recess 5 being shown in the present illustration which is indicated by the numeral 2. Through the center of the wheel an axle opening 3 is formed, and in each of the opposite recesses 2 of the wheel a hub unit is secured, such a unit being indicated gen- 55 erally by the numeral 4. Two of these units The invention will behest understood from aconstitute a complete hub, but for convenience in describing the invention one'unit only will be referred to.

The units forming the two-part hubs each comprises, in accordance with'the present invention, a rectangular body 5 which is provided with a central opening 6 and with an anti-friction ball race 1 formed inone'face concentric with the openingj as illustrated in Fig. 3. The outer side of the 'unit i s r'e'ctangular in outline and has 10 each of the four corners cut square across, as indicated at 8. r

-The unit bodyis initially punched from a suitablestrip of stock, in the form of a plain rectang'ularnut blank which isleft untapped- On the back of the blank the same is turned to form the circular 'body' pertion 9 into which the race 1 extends from the-oppositeside,and in turning this circular bodyj portion 9 there are left at the corners of theblankor unit the lugs l 0; As shown 2 in Fig. 4,-the se' lugs are cut back or sharpenedso ,as toextend from the front or square face of the.

hub unit adistance equal to substantially half the'fltliickness -of the unit.

The diameter of the opening 6 issubstant'ially' 5 the same as the diameter of the opening 3 through the body- I, and the diameter of the recess 2 is such that when the hub unit is placed therein the square corners 8 will bear firmly against the wall of the recess 2 and the unit is then pressed firmly inwardly, the bottom of the recess 2 being provided with a suitable countersunk recess to receive the circular portion 9 and the lugs being pressed into the solid wood at the bottom of the recess into which the unit is forced. Since a similar unit is placed in asimilar manner in a recess 2 at the opposite side of the wheel, it will be seen that the two units go to make up a complete. hub having the two race-ways for receiving antifriction balls at the two sides of the 40 wheel, the balls surrounding the wheel supporting axle, not shown, in the usual manner.

By forming or turning the blank in the manner described, it will be seen that the lugs I0 are provided at opposite sides with sharp corners or edges l l which facilitate their extension into the solid wood of the wheel body when the unit is pressed into position in the manner described. It will also be apparent that by stamping the units out as nut blanks they may be easily and quickly formed and by providing two units to each wheel to form the complete hub, they can be easily and quickly pressed into position from opposite sides of the wheel body, whereas this quick application of the old type single piece hub is not possible.

It is known that two-piece hubs have previously been made from stamped material, but the present invention distinguishes from these former two-piece hubs in that it is machined so that the anti-friction balls used in association therewith will operate smoothly and thus adapt the hubs to use in racing skates. The previously formed stamped two-piece hubs are not adapta ble to racing skates because-of thefactgthat they are stamped, andhave no machined "finish and therefore the races are uneven and do not,

lend themselves to use in connection with speed opposite face of the first portion and having an voverall width which is less than the width of the fiat first mentioned portion, the second portion skates. V

In the present hub unit the formation of the V corners 8 in the manner illustrated'is of advantage in that when the skate wheelhas worn down the hub corners will not cut through and 20 mar the floor surface of the skating rink as they would do if the sharp corners were left in the form in which they occur throughthe stamping of the piece.

What is claimed, is: a I

1. A two-piece hub unit .of the character de-, scribed, comprising a body presenting on one side a contour of polygonal outline, the opposite face of the bodybeing of circular formation for introduction into a circular recess in a wood wheel body, and lugs formed integrally with. the body and projecting from theside of polygonal eontour parallel and in spaced relation with the portion of circular; outline, said lugs being adapted for penetration into the wood wheelbody, the said first mentioned body having a central aperture therethrough-and; a ball. race formed in the first mentionedside thereof; a

2. In a skate wheel of solid material having a central opening and having each; face recessed to form two concentric shoulders encircling said opening, a hub comprising two units each disposed in a recess and each "comprising an;in-, tegral flat body having an exteriorly circular" portion resting at one side-against one shoulder,; the body having a central; openin CQIlcentric with the wheel opening, a rectangular head portion forming the other side of the body and having corners projecting beyond the exterior outline of said circular portion and resting against the other shoulder, the said other side of the body having a ball race cut thereinto concentric with the opening, and a lug extending from each of said corners across and in spaced relation with said circular portion and penetrating into the second mentioned shoulder.

hub unit, consisting of two pieces each comprising a fiat body portion of polygonal contour having a ball race cut into one face thereofjasecond body portion projecting from the beingicentrally positioned relative to the first portion, the second portion having a central passage therethrough which opens through the center of the ball race, and lugs projecting from the said opposite face of the first portion in spaced relation with the second portion and parallel with theaxial center of said passage.

4. In a skate wheel having a body of solid ma-- terial having an axle passage and having each face recessed to form a shoulder concentric with the passage, a hub comprising two units each disposed in a recess and each comprising an integral flat body havinga central opening therethrough andhaving an exteriorly circular portion concentric with the opening, a rectangular head portion forming the other side of the unit body and having corners projecting beyond the exterior outline of said circular portion, the said unit'bodies being inserted into the wheel body recesses circular portions first whereby each of the projecting corners is brought into abutting relation with the adjacent shoulder, the said other side of each unit body having a ball race formed therein concentric withsaid opening, and a lug extending from each of said corners across and in spaced relation; with said circular portion and penetrating into the shoulder.

' FRANCIS J. BALDWIN. 

